Columnist and friend questioned at gunpoint during trip to Northern Ireland Cape Breton Post
We made good time and were only 10 miles from Belfast when, rounding a turn, we came face to face with the British Army. Both sides of the highway were sealed off. In the middle of the road was an armoured vehicle, while on each side a soldier lay prone behind a machine gun. We braked to a hard stop and came face to face with several heavily armed men.
I was in the lead and was told to get off the bike. When Howie attempted to do the same he was immediately told, at gunpoint, to stay put. I was escorted from the road into a small clearing where I stood in front of a superior officer. I was told to produce documents, which I did: passport; driver’s licence; credit cards; airline tickets; even my Nova Scotia Teacher’s Union card.
While all this was going on, at gunpoint, a corporal off to one side flipped through a file folder of small I.D.-type photographs. He was obviously looking for my image. I also had to provide a sample of my handwriting, which was then compared with the signature on my documents.
